Marla’s Minute: Reaping A Harvest

Marla’s Minute: Reaping A Harvest

The manual for life, The Bible, continually says that sooner or later, whatever choices we make in our lives, we will see the results of these choices come to light in our lives or the lives of others. 

“Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:8-9

Let’s look at an example of what has been going on in Jamaica for the past few years, which happened again this month through an I-Quest intern alumni, Gentry. Many years ago, ACE had a season with Gentry in Jamaica where we got to share with her all the things God was removing and adding to her “spiritual toolbox” for life.

Through our relationship, Gentry introduced us to the rest of her family, and we quickly learned she doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Yes, Gentry, like her sisters, comes from good stock. And after all these years, she came back to ACE to serve with her father and older sister. Earlier this month, David, her father who is a carpenter, helped Allen build a larger and better tool closet for all the tools that have often been easily misplaced over the years.

What most I-Quest interns don’t realize is the gift they give to us personally. That gift is the opportunity to catch up with their fast-paced life and see how they have chased after God with all that they do. And Gentry is just one example. Audrey, another intern who is now married, also brought her father down to ACE recently to volunteer in helping lead our spring break teams. Who knows, we might just get another family involved the way Gentry did. 

We want to give a huge and sincere thank you to Gentry and her family for the many years they have given their treasures and time to ACE. And even beyond just Gentry’s family, we are reaping so many years of faithful friends and family at ACE in Jamaica. Thank you for your continued love and support!

We Are Warriors

We Are Warriors

Tina Gerke has been volunteering and leading trips with ACE for 23 years now. After her latest trip in March, she shared the following story with our team.

My recent two weeks in Jamaica were another amazing time of watching God work. I never cease to be amazed at how He chooses the right people at the right time and weaves our stories together for a week or two.

I had the opportunity to work alongside the elite eight! A small group from Grand Valley only 2.5 hours from my house! We became fast friends through buckets, shovels, and rocks. It’s amazing how a good ole bucket line brings people together!

We talked about life, Jesus, and just about everything in between.

We had the chance to take the Edgehill students to the farm and had an awesome time watching their excitement as they got to hold and pet the baby pigs, and then walk up to the Great House! There, our staff set up several areas where everyone could just enjoy God‘s nature, realizing that we are all created by Him!

There was one particular moment that struck me, and made me stand in awe of what God wants to speak to all of us about. My friend, Kelley, was painting a warrior mask on a young man’s face and she looked at him and said, “God may ask you to do hard things but now you’re a warrior, and you’re gonna be able to say yes!”

He walked away saying, “I’m a warrior!”

Such a precious innocent kid spouting powerful words! It was amazing!

And the same week, I walked out of the lunch area and saw a white flower tucked into the arms of a cactus-like plant. A light bulb moment happened, and I realized that all of us have the same chance to declare that we are warriors, too! Our life may look a lot like the prickly pieces of a cactus, but with Jesus, we have the ultimate honor to bloom right there in the middle of it all! Declaring for everyone that HE is Lord and through Him all things are possible!

Tina Gerke

Marla’s Minute: Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

Marla’s Minute: Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

It’s never easy to lose a foundational pillar in any organization, but since Jesus loves Mr. Myers more than we do, He decided to bring him home for company last month. Mr. Myers was 89 years old, still riding a motorcycle to work, and kept an incredible work ethic going for ACE working at our farm. On January 20, we honored him by being a big part of his funeral, which was held at his home church in Port Maria. We will miss Mr. Myers, his singing, his encouragement, and the way he served alongside many medical teams so well.  

However, in true ACE style, God had two wonderful employees waiting to tend the gardens that Mr. Myers did such a wonderful job preparing. Stephanie and Orain picked up the important tasks of planting, weeding, and reaping of food Green Life Farms produces for Galina Breeze and Buccaneers. While no one will be able to fill the shoes of Mr. Myers, we are certain he is smiling as his legacy continues to be filled with young people from his community.

We love you, Mr. Myers! Keep the lights on for us! In honor of the 19 years he worked at ACE and became a part of our family, we’ve put together a video of just a few of the countless memories we have with him.

The Smith Family Next Door

The Smith Family Next Door

ACE hosts site trips, which invite leaders to experience what ACE does and our “why” in Jamaica. Our most recent site trip happened last October, where we met Jennifer and Mitchell Smith. They are just starting a much-needed ministry called Wet Feet. But in the process, ACE invited the Smiths and their family to spend six weeks with us at the Campus, where they could rest and prepare for their weekend retreats in the States. And did we mention they also helped ACE with the farm, as well as outreach at ACE?

While we really didn’t know the Smiths when they arrived, we officially consider them an extension to our ACE family as they head back to the States this week. 

To the Smith family, thank you for investing your time and talent with us and our National team. We will keep the lights on for you at the Campus, as we anticipate your return soon. 

If you would like to know more about Wet Feet Ministries, go to their website or contact the Smiths at jennifer@wetfeetministries.org. God continues to raise up families that love Him and loves others., and we are so thankful to witness it happening in and through ACE as well.

The Mission & Vision of ACE

The Mission & Vision of ACE

We’ve just released our latest video detailing the mission and vision of ACE. Even after 35 years, we’ve remained focused on our four main impact areas — education, wellness, micro enterprise, and spiritual development. 

Please take a moment to watch the video below and discover what we’re currently doing to strengthen each of these impact areas.

Thank you for being a part of our mission and helping us meet the educational, physical, and spiritual needs of people in St. Mary, Jamaica. There’s always a way for you to be a part of what we’re doing at ACE. You can volunteer and plan a trip, sponsor a child, or show your support with a financial donation.